An electronic stylus may have two or more circuit boards, one of which is typically a rigid, flat circuit board which extends across the inner diameter of the stylus and which extends lengthwise through the stylus, and another of which is typically a flexible circuit board, which curls around the curved inner surface of the stylus and which also extends lengthwise through the stylus. Typically, the flexible circuit board is inserted into the stylus first, and then the rigid circuit board is inserted into the stylus. The rigid circuit board typically has two or more connectors or contacts so that, when the rigid circuit board is inserted into the stylus, the contacts press against conductive pads on the flexible circuit board, thereby creating one or more electrical paths so that the two circuit boards are in communication with each other.
Some types of contacts are rigid and, when the rigid circuit board is being inserted, these rigid contacts may make insertion difficult and/or may scrape against and damage the flexible circuit board, particularly the conductors on the flexible circuit board. Other types of contacts are susceptible to bending and twisting and may become temporarily or permanently misaligned, such as when a “twist-to-lock” operation is being performed during assembly or during battery replacement. The misaligned contacts may not contact their designated pads, in which case the two boards may not be able to communicate, and the stylus may not function properly.
Further, the shape of some types of contacts is unsuitable for a vacuum “pick-and-place” automated process of placing surface mount technology (SMT) components on circuit boards. Such contacts require a separate or manual process for placing and fastening those components to the circuit board.